let’s get physical

whatever days you’ve set aside to strength train, really try to go for the burn.  no, i’m not one of those “no pain no gain” advocates, however i do believe in maximizing your potential, and i also must admit, i do enjoy that burning feeling in my muscles, topped with the shakes. this is how i know that i am really working hard. now, for those of you who are frustrated because you can’t seem to shed those last few pounds, remember  your body will naturally hit a plateau in regards to weight loss. so the way to overcome this hurdle is to sensibly push your body (in conjunction with healthy eating, getting plenty of rest, and stress management). now, going for the burn can be as simple as this: take your normal workout routine and crank it up a tad. for instance, say you have a set number of repetitions (reps) that you do per muscle group. take that number and add 2-3 more reps. the trick is that you change the count for the addition reps.  what i mean is this, if you generally do 12 reps of bicep curls for two counts up, and two counts down, when you reach reps 13-15, i want you to take it up for three counts and squeeze your muscle at the top of the movement, and then take it back down for three counts. by doing this, you will get mentally and physically stronger and will be able to really cut into the muscle for more definition. just keep these two things in mind, use a weight that causes fatigue when you’re about two-thirds through the set and please maintain proper form to prevent unnecessary injuries. you’ll gain better results.

kathleen

sweet temptations

can you recall what foods you ate today? let’s see, you probably had some meals that included a common carbohydrate; fructose, (a monosaccharide, a basic unit of carbohydrate or simple sugar), right? although our bodies require carbohydrates to produce energy, the majority of us are eating way too much simple sugars like pasta, bread, rice crackers, cereals, cookies.

now, can you fathom eliminating sugar from your food plan for an entire week? for my coffee drinkers of the world, i am going to make one small, yet painful suggestion; drink your coffee black or just add milk (it’s only for a week). this challenge may seem like an eternity for most of you, but unlike my usual one days, this challenge requires a week in order for you to see a marked difference. believe it or not, you actually have to allow your body to undergo a withdrawal process in order to really see the difference. yes, i did say withdrawal, because sugar causes addiction. recent studies show that sugar produces the same chemical activity in the brain that the drugs heroin and morphine produce. so when we are having “the blues” we crave sugar to feel better. who doesn’t want to feel better? even our brains want to feel good, and whenever you consume sugar you almost immediately feel elated or relieved. there’s an actual physiological effect that causes this reaction to sugar; which is the brain’s pleasure center responds by releasing opioids (deals with pain relief). effects of opioids are due to decreased perception of pain, decreased reaction to pain as well as increased pain tolerance that will fuel a craving for more sugar. sugar makes you feel better, and there’s nothing wrong with that, except that we have sugar laden diets, which makes weight loss a huge hurdle, even if exercise is present in your life. so eliminating this addiction can open the pathway to more healthy living and faster weight loss. unfortunately, like with any addiction, to stop, involves withdrawal symptoms. here are some things you can expect during withdrawal; initially you may feel pumped up and ready to go because you’ve prepared yourself mentally for the challenge, however ultimately, even a positive mental state will not curb what the body needs to go through. then, you’re going to be cranky and sluggish, there’s no avoiding it, just think of the million smokers out there who went through similar symptoms for months (in their effort to quit) this addiction is not nearly as strong, so you can get through it. after your withdrawal symptoms have passed, you will eventually feel amazing because you have managed to overcome the physical, psychological and even emotional dependence on sugar by removing it out of your system.

so for the next week or so, avoid sweetened food, high fructose corn syrup, drinks, fruit including fruit juices and even honey. the best bet would see how you feel and monitor your progress. you may feel as though you are left with nothing to eat, however you can still enjoy your breads pasta and rice as long as it is the whole wheat variety. in addition, let’s not forget that you can still have many other great tasting and satisfying foods like vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, poultry, and meat during this time. when all goes well you can reintroduce fructose, for instance, fresh fruit and fruit juices and an occasional treat here. keeping in mind that fructose should be eaten in moderation.

kathleen